Latest news with #triple-double
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Knicks vs. Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton's flawless Game 4 showed exactly how much he means to Indiana — 'This guy is unbelievable'
INDIANAPOLIS — Rick Carlisle walked into his press conference after Game 4 understanding that he was going to be asked about the masterpiece that his virtuoso point guard had just unleashed upon the Knicks: a 32-point, 12-rebound, 15-assist, zero-turnover triple-double to propel his Pacers to a 130-121 win, and to within one win of the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years. But that didn't mean Indiana's head coach had to like it. Advertisement 'I know Ty did some historic stat stuff tonight, and that's great,' Carlisle said after Game 4. 'But it's tough talking stats when it's such a team thing right now.' Heard, Coach. So, here are some stats you might like better: In the course of an 11-plus minute podium session with reporters — an interview that spanned nearly 2,000 words, the primary topic of which was playing the game of his life to get his team within one win of a chance to play for an NBA championship — Haliburton used the word 'we' 28 times, the word 'our' five times, the phrase 'as a group' six times, and the phrase 'play the right way' five times. He said 'It's about winning' twice, 'I just want to impact winning' once, and 'How can I impact winning?' once, bringing us to four discrete instances of emphasizing how much he wants to win. He gave a 52-second, 189-word answer in praise of Bennedict Mathurin, who bounced back from a rough start to the series by exploding for 20 points in 13 minutes off the bench, helping Indiana expand its lead with his physical drives to the basket and the free throws they generated. He almost said that it was more exciting to see Triple H in Gainbridge Fieldhouse than it was to see his dad back in the building — but he stopped short. Chalk up another possession successfully concluded without an unforced error. 'Look, Tyrese is a great player, and people realize that,' Carlisle said. 'He happens to do some very impressive statistical things. But he's well aware that all of this far transcends statistics.' Tyrese Haliburton finished with a game-high 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds (and no turnovers) in Indiana's win over New York. The Pacers are now up 3-1 in the East finals. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Haliburton left Game 3 with a bad taste in his mouth, frustrated by Indiana scoring just 42 points in the second half and leaving the door open for New York to pull off a daring comeback — unhappy with a finish where he felt the team he's responsible for leading was on the back foot rather than pressing the action. Advertisement 'They've got some guys who just make some hellacious shots, you know, and [Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson] did that last game, and I felt like those were kind of like taking the air out of us,' Haliburton said. 'We were kind of sighing after every one, walking the ball up. Today, we were just trying to keep focused on, 'Who cares?' You know, let's get [the ball] in and let's run, go right back at them. They're gonna make shots. Let's just keep going.' Haliburton hit the gas off the jump, repeatedly attacking Towns and Brunson in the pick-and-roll and generating great looks. He rebounded misses and mashed the pedal to the floor, creating three open 3-point attempts in the first three minutes of the game before stepping into his first — an almost unfathomably open stepback after the Knicks miscommunicated assignments on a switch in transition — and drilling it to put Indiana up 16-9, a sterling start that put Game 3's ugly finish behind them. The Pacers scored 42 points in the second half on Sunday; they scored 43 points in the first quarter on Tuesday. They were off to the races, with Haliburton, as always, setting the pace. 'I felt like I'd let the team down in Game 3 — felt like I could have been so much better,' he said. 'So I felt like I responded the right way today.' Advertisement Yeah, you could say that. 'I just thought he was free out there,' said Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, who scored 30 points on 11-for-21 shooting with five rebounds. 'Just playing with pace, just not slowing down whatsoever, just being in attack mode the whole game. And for him, what makes him special is attack mode is not just scoring — it's getting us in position, bringing the pace, playing the way that we want to play, and then also him just being in control of the game.' 'He was the leader tonight,' Carlisle said. It's a role that Haliburton has steadily grown into since landing in Indianapolis back in February of 2022 in a blockbuster trade that — with all due respect to Domantas Sabonis, an excellent player — looked like a steal at the time and now feels like outright larceny. Step by step, brick by brick, Haliburton has been the foreman overseeing the construction project in Indiana: an overhaul in overarching approach, a revolution in RPMs. Advertisement 'Unbelievable,' said Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, who gutted through a sprained right ankle to play 33 minutes of physical defense on Brunson while also chipping in 16 points on 5-for-9 shooting. 'He's a special player. He does what we ask of him, what we need him to do every night, and I think he almost had a triple-double at halftime. This guy is unbelievable.' The most unbelievable part, really, is the turnovers — or, rather, their absence. Haliburton now has a 44-to-6 assist-to-turnover ratio in 153 minutes in these Eastern Conference finals — almost all of which has been spent with him fending off physical defenders in his face, playing as fast as he possibly can, and slinging the ball all the hell over the court. 'He was really throwing the ball ahead tonight, too, which was really important for us,' Carlisle said. 'And to not have any turnovers in any of those situations, too, is pretty remarkable. But this is — this has become his thing. And you know, there will be a new statistical category, perhaps named after him, somewhere down the line. 'You know, him and Chris Paul, these guys … there aren't a lot of guys. I know [John] Stockton didn't turn it over much, back when he played. There are others. LeBron James doesn't turn it over very much. And you can go right down the line. Some of the all-time greats. I know he takes great pride in it, and that's a motivating factor.' Advertisement (Haliburton confirmed that: 'I'd rather do really anything else on the basketball court than turn the ball over.') Go back a second, though, and look at those names: Paul, Stockton, James. These are some of the absolute greatest playmakers in the history of the sport. Maybe it feels a little early for all that. With one more win and a Finals berth, though — and, let's face it, likely an Eastern Conference final MVP trophy — Haliburton would take a big step toward earning a spot in such august company … even if the way he gets there looks a little bit different from those all-time table-setters. 'I think my game is a little unorthodox,' Haliburton said. 'I jump to pass probably more than anybody in the NBA. But I work on that stuff. That's how I've worked my whole life to play the game. So I take pride in taking care of the ball. I feel like the more we take care of the ball as a team, the more opportunities we get to shoot the ball. The more shots we get in the game, the better opportunity we have to win.' Just so long as he doesn't forget to look for his own shot sometimes, too. Advertisement 'He's amazing — like, when he's playing that way, and just the pace and getting us in position, and then also being aggressive, just finding that balance of doing both, like … yeah, we know he's a pass-first kind of guy, but he also was able to give us big buckets when we really needed them,' Siakam said. 'I just loved the way he played tonight, his energy on both ends of the floor. And also you don't turn the ball over? That's amazing.' Combine that with stepped-up effort on the defensive end — 12 defensive boards, four steals — and you've got a performance for the ages. After one of those steals, when he pounced on Brunson to force a turnover in the third quarter, Haliburton popped up and high-fived Pacer alum and former teammate George Hill, who was seated in the front row: That moment meant a lot to Haliburton. Advertisement 'I see G-Hill as kind of like one of my vets,' Haliburton said after the game. 'He was here with me for a little bit, and we do have constant conversation to this day. But you see Lance [Stephenson] in the building, you know, Stephen Jackson was here the other day, Al Harrington, Roy Hibbert, [Danny Granger], Reggie [Miller] — I mean, all these guys are guys I've grown up watching.' 'Yeah, and he's doing this within the system — you know, there isn't a lot of freelance stuff, where they're just outside-the-box gambles,' Carlisle said. 'He's doing it within the system, and that's real growth.' Everywhere you look in Indiana, there's growth: Nesmith's evolution as a shooter, Mathurin's bounce-back maturity, Andrew Nembhard's developing two-way work, and on, and on. These Pacers are smack in the middle of the pack in terms of average roster age among NBA teams; there's plenty of young guys still with a ton of runway to get better, Haliburton included. The deeper the play, the bigger the games get, and the more they learn. One thing they're learning: When you get an opportunity as good as the one that's in front of them right now, you have to seize it with both hands. And when you do, it's awful nice to have a point guard who'd rather do anything than cough it up. Advertisement 'He runs our team,' Siakam said. 'When he brings the ball up, the pace he brings it with, just the way he plays … yeah, it makes our team go. For me, I just enjoy being a part of it — playing with him, just knowing that he cares about putting us all into the position to be successful. That's what makes him special.' 'Look, he's had a lot of things happen this year,' Carlisle said. 'You know, the year's been filled with ups and downs. He's remained remarkably resilient and steadfast in his belief in what we're doing and who he is. We just need him to continue to lead us.' That mantle of leadership, passed down from those Pacer greats in the building for Game 4, rests with Haliburton. He knows the franchise will go as far as he can take it; he also understands, like all the great point guards do, that you can go a hell of a lot farther together than you can alone. 'When I got traded to the Pacers, or just being a basketball fan, you think of all the guys that come before you,' Haliburton said. 'And they've tried to help put this organization in a better place than they found it. And that's what I'm trying to do, as well.'
New York Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
NBA playoffs results and takeaways: Pacers 1 win from NBA Finals as Knicks flounder in Game 4
Tyrese Haliburton posted a dazzling 32-point, 15-assist and 12-rebound triple-double to will the Indiana Pacers to a 130-121 win and suffocating 3-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. With it, Haliburton became the first player in Pacers history with multiple playoff triple-doubles. Tyrese Haliburton is the first player in NBA history to drop 30/15/10 with 0 turnovers in a playoff game. THE DIFFERENCE. — Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 28, 2025 Indiana led 102-91 to start the fourth, but unlike past games that saw New York overcome double-digit deficits in the fourth quarter, the Knicks walked into the final frame without momentum on their side. Still, they found it with roughly four minutes to play, pulling the game within six. But they couldn't catch up to their past mistakes. Advertisement The Pacers stifled the Knicks in most categories, scoring 22 fast-break points to New York's nine and posting 29 assists to New York's 17. Pascal Siakam had 30 points and Bennedict Mathurin 20. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson scored 31, Karl-Anthony Towns posted 24 and OG Anunoby 22. Game 5 returns to New York on Thursday. The celebratory skip said it all. After Haliburton pushed the ball in transition early in the first quarter, the Knicks blew their defensive rotations and somehow left the Pacers' star wide open on the right wing. His teammates on the bench raised their hands in anticipation as Haliburton hoisted a 3-pointer. When the ball went through the hoop, Haliburton's body took over as he pranced down the court after giving Indiana a 16-9 lead. The Knicks called a timeout to try to stymie him, but it was to no avail. That 3-pointer was only Haliburton's first points of the game, yet it was as if he knew he was beginning to paint a masterpiece. Voted the NBA's most overrated player in The Athletic's annual unanimous player poll that was released last month, Haliburton had arguably the best game of his career in Tuesday night's victory. The two-time All-Star was 3-for-3 on 3-pointers and scored 15 points in the first quarter — tying the most points he's ever scored in any quarter of a playoff game — and finished with his first-ever playoff triple-double. Haliburton's outing helped move the Pacers within one victory of their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. — James Boyd, Indiana sports staff writer The Knicks' season is now on the brink, but they've shown they're capable of winning any of these games. New York had some big defensive stretches and created good 3-point looks at times in the fourth quarter, but the Pacers' defense effectively took Brunson out of crunch time. Advertisement Brunson couldn't get into the paint once the Knicks clawed back into the game, while Haliburton never lost his pulse on the game. His triple-double was great, but the zero turnovers is the biggest feat. The Knicks' inability to force him into a bad pass has been confounding. They need to win the transition battle to stay alive and that won't happen if Haliburton is perfect. The Pacers' defense has been connected enough to take away New York's primary option in the fourth quarter and that allows their offense to rely on transition buckets to keep things going when the Knicks get close. It's the reason they could be heading to the NBA Finals, as Haliburton is peaking at just the right time and the Knicks aren't getting nearly enough 3s to keep up with Indiana's stellar offense. — Jared Weiss, NBA staff writer Aaron Nesmith showed no signs of being injured in Game 4, some 48 hours after limping around the Pacers locker room following a right ankle sprain he sustained in the third quarter of Game 3. The 25-year-old, who was a game-time decision, drilled his first two 3-point attempts and threw down a fast-break tomahawk dunk in the first quarter that garnered a roar from the crowd. Mathurin gave Indiana a spark, too. The 2022 No. 6 pick struggled in this series, scoring 11 points combined through the first three games, but he came alive Tuesday to help Indiana push New York to the brink of elimination. Mathurin, who was sidelined last year during the playoffs due to a torn labrum, nailed a midrange jumper just four seconds after he entered the game in the first quarter and totaled 20 points off the bench in 12 minutes. — Boyd Towns went down in pain due to a left knee collision late in the fourth quarter. Towns has been struggling with pain in that knee the past few games and played through it for the final two minutes, though he clearly was struggling. Even when standing on the sidelines at the end of this loss, he was hunched over in discomfort. New York needs Towns to carry their offense when the Pacers take the paint away from Brunson, so the Knicks' best counterpunch may be limited for Game 5. — Weiss
New York Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Things boiling over!
Clark posted her third career triple-double and was also given the first flagrant foul of her career for a hard take on Reese Getty Images Caitlin Clark posted the third triple-double of her career as the Indiana Fever opened their WNBA season with a dominant home win over the Chicago Sky. Clark had 20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocks, while Aliyah Boston chipped in with 19 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. Indiana held Chicago to 17 points or fewer in each quarter, showing off their newly strengthened defense. Angel Reese led the Sky with 12 points and 17 rebounds. Chicago's shooting struggled throughout the game, making just 29 percent of their field goals. In what's sure to be the most talked-about moment from today's game, Clark was called for a flagrant foul, the first of her career, on Reese during the third quarter. Reese took exception to the hard play and was kept from pursuing Clark by Boston and the referees. GO FURTHER Caitlin Clark notches triple-double as Fever blow out Sky in season opener: Takeaways Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Getty Images Here we go! This is the rivalry everyone wants to see. Angel Reese just got fouled hard by Caitlin Clark, causing Reese to fall to the floor, and Reese took exception. When she got up, she went right at Clark before the officials separated the players and their teams. The refs are reviewing the play. Big prediction from ABC/ESPN WNBA analyst Rebecca Lobo: She thinks Caitlin Clark can finish with a double-digit assist average in 2025. Only Courtney Vandersloot (10.0 apg in 2020) has done that. Getty Images Aliyah Boston with an impressive first two-plus quarters. She has 10 points and seven rebounds and she's thrown a few impressive passes, too, even if she doesn't have an assist to show for it. Q3 7:00 - Fever 50, Sky 38 Boston finds Mitchell with a great feed but Mitchell misses the ensuing layup. Indiana's struggles with shots from point-blank range carries over from the first half. The Fever atone on their next possession, though, as Clark has a similarly nifty feed for Howard, who makes a reverse layup. Q3 7:45 - Fever 48, Sky 38 The Sky are finding their scoring touch. Reese makes a driving layup and roars, followed by Atkins drilling a 3 and Cardoso getting to the free-throw line. Q3 8:53 - Fever 47, Sky 32 Mitchell finds Howard for a layup as the Fever make the first bucket of the second half. Q3 10:00 - Fever 45, Sky 32 We're back in action at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis! WNBA Indiana Fever 45, Chicago Sky 32 Field goals: 17/38 - 13/45 17/38 - 13/45 Field goal percentage: 44.7% - 28.9% 44.7% - 28.9% 3-pointers: 4/12 - 4/16 4/12 - 4/16 3-point percentage: 33.3% - 25.0% 33.3% - 25.0% Free throws: 7/9 - 2/4 7/9 - 2/4 Rebounds: 23 - 23 23 - 23 Offensive rebounds: 3 - 6 3 - 6 Assists: 8 - 10 8 - 10 Steals: 6 - 3 6 - 3 Blocks: 6 - 4 6 - 4 Turnovers: 6 - 7 6 - 7 Fast break points: 8 - 8 8 - 8 Points in paint: 22 - 12 22 - 12 Fouls: 6 - 9 Instagram LeBron James showing love to Caitlin Clark on Instagram: 'Good luck and DO YOU per usual this season!!!' Caitlin Clark has a game-high 12 points, four rebounds, three blocks, three assists and three turnovers — filling up every part of the stat sheet. Boston has eight points and six rebounds, while Mitchell has nine points. Reese leads Chicago with seven points and nine rebounds. Bec Allen has 7. Caitlin Clark gives the people what they want as the first half ends, hitting a tough 3-pointer while moving to her left. Chicago kept the score close for most of the half, but it very quickly ballooned to 13. Q2 0:57 - Fever 40, Sky 30 The Fever commit three turnovers in a short span of time, two coming from Clark. No matter though, as Boston finds the bucket to push Indiana's lead into double digits. Aliyah Boston should file away that fake handoff to Caitlin Clark because she can score a ton of points this year with that move. Teams are going to overplay Clark thinking Boston is going to kick back an interior pass to Clark and she's going to have more open highway than a Sunday in Montana. Getty Images Q2 3:38 - Fever 36, Sky 25 Clark and Boston both hit midrange jumpers to pad Indiana's lead. Boston then stuffs Onyenwere's layup for her third block of the day. A big ovation as the Indiana Pacers are shown in attendance here. The Eastern Conference Finals begin Wednesday. Getty Images The thing that's already apparent with the Fever is added spacing. This is what bringing in sound pros such as Bonner and Howard can really give you. Most teams are going to have play honest against the Fever (outside of the rare teams with five great on-ball defenders) and that's going to give shooters such as Clark and Mitchell an extra spilt second. And that extra split second is what turns good shooters into great shooters. Q2 7:42 - Fever 28, Sky 23 DeWanna Bonner with the pickpocket on Angel Reese and breakaway layup, perhaps reminding unfamiliar Fever fans that she's one of the most versatile defenders in the WNBA. The Sky call a timeout to regroup. A little too much point forward from Reese for my taste. Her handle isn't quite tight enough to withstand pressure. I would rather her give up the ball if the transition opportunity isn't there than initiate in the half court. Getty Images Q2 8:15 - Fever 26, Sky 23 Angel Reese made only three 3-pointers all of last season, and never took more than three 3s in a single game. She's already taken two 3-pointers tonight, making one. It's safe to expect her to have some new shooting career-highs this season. Page 2
New York Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Clark foul upgraded to flagrant
Clark posted her third career triple-double and was also given the first flagrant foul of her career for a hard take on Reese Getty Images Caitlin Clark posted the third triple-double of her career as the Indiana Fever opened their WNBA season with a dominant home win over the Chicago Sky. Clark had 20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocks, while Aliyah Boston chipped in with 19 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. Indiana held Chicago to 17 points or fewer in each quarter, showing off their newly strengthened defense. Angel Reese led the Sky with 12 points and 17 rebounds. Chicago's shooting struggled throughout the game, making just 29 percent of their field goals. In what's sure to be the most talked-about moment from today's game, Clark was called for a flagrant foul, the first of her career, on Reese during the third quarter. Reese took exception to the hard play and was kept from pursuing Clark by Boston and the referees. GO FURTHER Caitlin Clark notches triple-double as Fever blow out Sky in season opener: Takeaways Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Q3 4:38 - Fever 56, Sky 44 Replays show that Clark was frustrated that Reese had shoved Howard and not been called for a foul. They also show that Clark gave Reese an extra shove right after her foul. For that extra shove, Clark's foul is upgraded to a flagrant one. Boston, who got in between Reese and Clark, and Reese are given offsetting technical fouls. Reese misses her first flagrant free throw, much to the delight of the Indiana crowd, before making her second. Getty Images Here we go! This is the rivalry everyone wants to see. Angel Reese just got fouled hard by Caitlin Clark, causing Reese to fall to the floor, and Reese took exception. When she got up, she went right at Clark before the officials separated the players and their teams. The refs are reviewing the play. Big prediction from ABC/ESPN WNBA analyst Rebecca Lobo: She thinks Caitlin Clark can finish with a double-digit assist average in 2025. Only Courtney Vandersloot (10.0 apg in 2020) has done that. Getty Images Aliyah Boston with an impressive first two-plus quarters. She has 10 points and seven rebounds and she's thrown a few impressive passes, too, even if she doesn't have an assist to show for it. Q3 7:00 - Fever 50, Sky 38 Boston finds Mitchell with a great feed but Mitchell misses the ensuing layup. Indiana's struggles with shots from point-blank range carries over from the first half. The Fever atone on their next possession, though, as Clark has a similarly nifty feed for Howard, who makes a reverse layup. Q3 7:45 - Fever 48, Sky 38 The Sky are finding their scoring touch. Reese makes a driving layup and roars, followed by Atkins drilling a 3 and Cardoso getting to the free-throw line. Q3 8:53 - Fever 47, Sky 32 Mitchell finds Howard for a layup as the Fever make the first bucket of the second half. Q3 10:00 - Fever 45, Sky 32 We're back in action at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis! WNBA Indiana Fever 45, Chicago Sky 32 Field goals: 17/38 - 13/45 17/38 - 13/45 Field goal percentage: 44.7% - 28.9% 44.7% - 28.9% 3-pointers: 4/12 - 4/16 4/12 - 4/16 3-point percentage: 33.3% - 25.0% 33.3% - 25.0% Free throws: 7/9 - 2/4 7/9 - 2/4 Rebounds: 23 - 23 23 - 23 Offensive rebounds: 3 - 6 3 - 6 Assists: 8 - 10 8 - 10 Steals: 6 - 3 6 - 3 Blocks: 6 - 4 6 - 4 Turnovers: 6 - 7 6 - 7 Fast break points: 8 - 8 8 - 8 Points in paint: 22 - 12 22 - 12 Fouls: 6 - 9 Instagram LeBron James showing love to Caitlin Clark on Instagram: 'Good luck and DO YOU per usual this season!!!' Caitlin Clark has a game-high 12 points, four rebounds, three blocks, three assists and three turnovers — filling up every part of the stat sheet. Boston has eight points and six rebounds, while Mitchell has nine points. Reese leads Chicago with seven points and nine rebounds. Bec Allen has 7. Caitlin Clark gives the people what they want as the first half ends, hitting a tough 3-pointer while moving to her left. Chicago kept the score close for most of the half, but it very quickly ballooned to 13. Q2 0:57 - Fever 40, Sky 30 The Fever commit three turnovers in a short span of time, two coming from Clark. No matter though, as Boston finds the bucket to push Indiana's lead into double digits. Aliyah Boston should file away that fake handoff to Caitlin Clark because she can score a ton of points this year with that move. Teams are going to overplay Clark thinking Boston is going to kick back an interior pass to Clark and she's going to have more open highway than a Sunday in Montana. Getty Images Q2 3:38 - Fever 36, Sky 25 Clark and Boston both hit midrange jumpers to pad Indiana's lead. Boston then stuffs Onyenwere's layup for her third block of the day. A big ovation as the Indiana Pacers are shown in attendance here. The Eastern Conference Finals begin Wednesday. Getty Images The thing that's already apparent with the Fever is added spacing. This is what bringing in sound pros such as Bonner and Howard can really give you. Most teams are going to have play honest against the Fever (outside of the rare teams with five great on-ball defenders) and that's going to give shooters such as Clark and Mitchell an extra spilt second. And that extra split second is what turns good shooters into great shooters. Q2 7:42 - Fever 28, Sky 23 DeWanna Bonner with the pickpocket on Angel Reese and breakaway layup, perhaps reminding unfamiliar Fever fans that she's one of the most versatile defenders in the WNBA. The Sky call a timeout to regroup. A little too much point forward from Reese for my taste. Her handle isn't quite tight enough to withstand pressure. I would rather her give up the ball if the transition opportunity isn't there than initiate in the half court. Page 2
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Josh Hart records first Knicks playoff triple-double in over 50 years to help eliminate Celtics in Game 6
Friday night saw the Knicks slay a number of metaphorical dragons during this playoff run. Game 6 was the first series-clinching win at home in 25 years, which was also the amount of time it's taken for the Knicks to make it back to the Eastern Conference Finals. But Josh Hart also accomplished a feat not seen in a Knicks uniform in over 50 years. Advertisement Hart scored 10 points, came down with 11 rebounds and dished 11 assists all with a black eye suffered by an errant elbow in Game 5. It's Hart's 10th triple-double this season (including playoffs), but it's his first career triple-double in the postseason. In fact, it's the Knicks' first playoff triple-double since Walt Frazier in 1972 -- fitting considering how Hart eclipsed Frazier's franchise mark for triple-doubles in a season this year. "He's the heart of the team," Frazier said on the MSG broadcast. "The black eye, he was undaunted by that. The good rebounding. he grows on you. You just watch him, he does whatever it takes to win the game. He doesn't worry about the the heart of the team." "He impacts the game in a lot of different ways and people get stuck on 'well, he didn't shoot the ball or he didn't do this.' Josh, what he is is he's a basketball player," coach Tom Thibodeau said of Hart after the game. "It's transition, it's the pace, playing out of the pocket, making corner threes. Dribble handoff, hustle plays, offensive rebounds and defensively just being everywhere and coming up with big rebounds. "When you play with that kind of effort, it's inspiring to a team." Advertisement Hart's inspiring play was on full display in Game 6. Whether it was crashing to the hoop before kicking out to an open man beyond the arc, or taking it to the basket himself for an and-one. The third-year Knick brought the effort, and it was infectious. Effort -- or the lack thereof -- was a big talking point after Game 5's loss. Jalen Brunson, Hart, and others criticized how they played in that game, especially letting a nine-point lead in the second quarter devolve into a 25-point loss. The Knicks were determined not to let that happen again. So, what worked for the Knicks on Friday night? Communication. "We have to end quarters right, and that's something that we did and we were able to pick it up in the second, get stops, run and play Knick basketball," Hart explained. "Everyone played well, everyone talked, everyone communicated. Made plays offensively and defensively. That's something we preach all the time is ending quarters strong." They'll have to keep that communication and effort when they take on the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers eliminated the Knicks in the second round last season after seven games. But this Knicks team has another streak to break in mind. Going to their first NBA Finals in 25 years.
